Discharged!

We were able to bust me out of the hospital today!

One night was the plan,  but not the guarantee,  so I’m grateful.  It’s been an interesting 24 hours.  I definitely hurt more than I expected.

I have 3 small incisions on my left side; 2 in the breast crease and one higher up on my side. Then there is a bandage covering the wound where the chest tube was, also on my left side.

I mean,  they went through my ribs, moved my lung and took out the lymph nodes.  It’s not surprising that I’m in pain,  I just hadn’t thought through how bad it was going to hurt to breathe.  I think i also have a little ptsd from the lungs last time; after having the fluid and the 3- month-cough and all that.

Today I had an xray and then the surgeons assistant came in to see me and everything looked good so he took the chest tube out. That doesn’t hurt, but feels super strange and sounds gross.

I had another xray after that to make sure everything still looked good without the tube. Once the doctor confirmed, they took out both IVs (I had a third arterial one for the surgery) and then they released me.

I feel very holy 😝

Nonetheless, it’s gotten much better in a short period of time.  I got one of these breathing machines

and I’ve been doing it religiously so that doesn’t happen again. I just can’t cough and I really want to cough.

Jeremy picked up my prescriptions, we stopped to pick up a grocery order and came back to the hotel.  We passed out for a little while,  which was much needed. Then door-dashed some Indian food.

One bummer thing is that they lost my ring.  It’s very small and basically part of me now so i forgot about it. One of the nurses saw it in the operating room and took it off me and it never made it back. Jeremy got me that for our 10-year anniversary so I’m a little sad but I think we can get a replacement. I’m just glad it wasn’t a family heirloom or something.

I have to say,  all of the nurses and attendants at city of hope were very nice and seemed to really like their jobs. Last time my surgery was at Huntington hospital due to needing a cardiac unit,  so this was my first experience at the cancer center. I made sure to tell my nurses thank you,  and that their kindness makes all the difference.

Especially because it took a good ten minutes to disconnect me from everything I was attached to,  just to go pee. And drink a lot of water so I pee a lot.  Poor things.

Now, with my belly full of vindaloo,  we’re watching the Olympics in bed. Tomorrow Jeremy heads back to Oregon in the morning.

I’m feeling a lot of things,  but mostly grateful that this vessel I’ve been blessed with survived yet another blow.

I want to believe this chapter is closed now,  but I think it’s safer for me to think of it as another step in the journey of life. I don’t want to be disappointed again; and I think keeping a broader perspective is better for me.

Thank you to all of you who are going on this journey with me.  I know it’s a wild ride. That love and support keeps me going.